Two Drinks and a Murder
by J. E. Talveran
Summary: UpdateChapter 8: 24 hours since the kidnapping. 24 hours since she was last seen. The CSI's start on their side of the kidnapping case to get Catherine back. Read&Review and get karma points. (SC)
1. Happy Hour without the booze

Title: Two Drinks and a Murder  
  
Author: Sky_Tye  
  
Rating: For now? It's a PG-13 but I'm thinking it'll get up to R on ff.net and NC-17 on the Yahoo Group Cath/Sara in some parts.  
  
Disclaimer: They're not mine, or at least that's what the nice men in white lab coats giving me my medication say. :)  
  
Spoilers: A slight reference to "After the Show"  
  
Author's Note: This isn't my first CSI fan fiction, but it's my first attempt at Catherine/Sara so be nice.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
If one asked Catherine Willows why she'd gone into Shay's Shack that night she wouldn't have a ready answer to give. She linked it to her sudden feelings of loneliness or she could perhaps link it to the fact that her last meal was with Gil Grissom and that event had taken place in the Dark Ages. So when she drove place the small parking lot outside the pub she found it was almost instinctive for her to pull in and check it out.  
  
Walking in, a bell ringing somewhere above her about her arrival, she expected a cloud of stale cigarette smoke to slam into her senses and make her eyes water from the sting but was pleasantly surprised when nothing hit her. Rather a low roar of rambled conversation entered into her hearing and set a background monotone that eased her mind down from the anxious high she had wound up to earlier that night dealing with a drug dealer and two dead teenagers. God help her she loved her job but sometimes, sometimes she just wanted to leave. The cloud of melancholy seemed to fade as she claimed a leather upholstered stool at the bar and was greeted by a slim, attractive redhead in her late thirties who seemed trustworthy in that bartender sort of way. She smiled at Catherine and reached under the counter to pull out a clean glass.  
  
"What can I get for you Sug?" she asked, her voice a mellow southern drawl. Catherine looked up from the spot on the polished wood counter she had focused on right after sitting and smiled hesitantly in return.  
  
"Oh, coffee, please."  
  
"Black?"  
  
Catherine's response was a silent nod and the bartender walked away with a hum on her lips. She watched the woman pour the coffee and then return to place the steaming mug in front of her. Smiling gratefully in thanks Catherine reached for the packets of sugar and cream the woman had set down after picking up the first glass. Curling her hands around the cup she sighed when the warmth crept into her fingers and up into her arms, chasing away the chill the night had set onto her body.  
  
"So you're a new face 'round here. Got a name?" the bartender asked, leaning up against the counter opposite the one Catherine was sitting at. Her eyes twinkled with a maternal glow and her lips were beginning to curl into something of a small smile.  
  
Catherine took a sip of the coffee and sighed in appreciation of the hot drink before answering. "Catherine."  
  
"Catherine? Pretty name, my niece's named that." the bartender wiped her hands on the towel she had draped over her shoulder earlier. "I'm Adrianne. But call me Anne, everyone else here does."  
  
"What's wrong with Adrianne?"  
  
"Too stuffy," Anne wrinkled her nose in distaste. "And do I look like an Adrianne to you?"  
  
Catherine studied the redhead for a moment and then slowly shook her head. "No, I guess not."  
  
"See? Besides, whoever heard of a bartender named 'Adrianne'?" Anne chuckled, "So, what brings you here this time of the day? I rarely get anyone now, well 'cept for those six over there," she gestured to the group of men whose conversation had become her background noise, "and my favorite little gal every Tuesday and Thursdays .which reminds me." Anne trailed off and ambled to another part of the bar where a kettle was plugged in.  
  
Before Catherine could make a comment, or even start to think of a reply the small bell above the entrance jangled and signaled another person entering the bar.  
  
"Hey Anne sorry I'm late, my car's being an ass again and Grissom wanted to take forever in the meeting." a familiar low voice crooned from the doorway. Catherine's ears perked at the voice and she paused in taking another sip of her coffee to marvel at the coincidence. Or was she cursing at the irony of the situation?  
  
"Darhling, where have you been? Oh never mind that, I have your usual ready to go." Anne pushed from the counter and stepped up to hug the person now standing to Catherine's left. "Just give me a minute."  
  
"That's all right, I need to use the bathroom to freshen up. That last case and my bloody engine really threw me for a loop." the person paused as if something had caught their attention in mid-thought and Catherine knew she had finally been recognized. "Catherine?"  
  
Smiling wryly into her coffee Catherine lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "Hey Sara."  
  
Sara Sidle flashed a puzzled smile at her; she had expected a sarcastic or even callused remark but not a weary hello. "Uh---would you excuse me I need to-"  
  
"Need to freshen up, I heard."  
  
Sara nodded and touched her shoulder briefly, a gesture from the old days and left, waving idly at Anne to set the tea on the counter. Anne did so and slid a sideways glance towards Catherine.  
  
"So you're Catherine."  
  
"Excuse me?" Catherine frowned politely, not getting the apparent enlightenment Anne suddenly had thrown on her.  
  
"You're the Catherine from work that Sara's always going on about."  
  
"She talks about me?" Catherine glanced over to the restrooms and back. "Sara?"  
  
"Oh all the time Sug'. There's not a moment she's in here when she's not talking about you. You two must be close."  
  
Catherine gave a slow shrug and dropped her gaze into her coffee. "No, not really. No anymore at least."  
  
"Really?" Anne sounded genuinely shocked but recovered quickly. "Well from the way that girl goes on about you it would seem that she'd like that." Anne winked and moved over to the far side, grabbing a few glasses to clean leaving Catherine the chance to think over her words.  
  
Catherine's brow furrowed and she peered into her coffee, ignoring the slight wisp of steam floating into her eyes. She was thinking over what Anne had said, wondering exactly what she had meant by that. She knew that after the whole Hank thing her and Sara had started a friendship in a attempt to get closer but after the last high profile case, well, everything had got to pot with their try at it.  
  
The only problem with the falling out was that Catherine hadn't wanted the friendship to wither away and die. Surprisingly she had started to enjoy the company that Sara offered, even coming to look forward to the rare occasion her and Sara got together and simply lived and had fun. And (though she would never admit it aloud under pain of death) the younger woman had grown on her past the point of friendship. Catherine was falling for the brunette and she was falling hard.  
  
She shook her head forcibly to clear the near forbidden thoughts from her head and turned just in time to see Sara emerge from the restroom, their eyes meeting before Sara gained a faint blush and averted her gaze. She walked over to sit a few stools away from Catherine where Anne had set the tea and looked up when the strawberry blonde coughed once loudly to draw attention.  
  
"Yeah?" she looked up, the blush still in her cheeks and her dark eyes hopeful for something other then the snarls and snaps both had thrown at the other for the past few weeks. Catherine took a breath, swallowed the lump forming in her throat and gestured for Sara to scoot over.  
  
"Come on, I promise not to bite." Catherine said, looking quickly to see Anne watching them with a sort of fascination. When Sara took the invite and moved, Anne allowed a hidden smirk to blossom on her face before she excused herself with the need to tend something in the back.  
  
"Hey Catherine." Sara greeted, her voice soft and unsure. Catherine smiled back almost shyly and then sipped at her coffee, watching Sara from over the rim. "Look ...about last month I'm sorry, it was..." Sara trailed off, looking ahead into the mirror that faced the two of them from the back counter making the rows of beer, wine, and liquor bottles on the back counter look like stained glass.  
  
"Stupid." Catherine saw the angry storm rising in Sara's eyes and hastened to add, "Of both of us. I'm sorry too, for what it's worth."  
  
"It's worth a lot." Sara's lips curled up into a half-smile and Catherine held back a relieved chuckle. Maybe things would slowly climb back into the normal range.  
  
"And ...I've missed you, you know? Well, I've missed this." Catherine waved a hand between the two of them, expressing that she missed the friendship and half hoping that Sara would read into it more and half-hoping her lack of social skills would prevent her from getting the intended slip.  
  
But either way Sara interpreted the gesture and words something softened in her features and a warmer smile flitted over her lips before she took a drink of her OJ. "I've missed you too KitKat,"  
  
A warmth not unlike the coffee's heat flowed through Catherine at Sara's use of her old nickname. She beamed at the younger CSI then growled when a vibrating at her hip told her she was being paged. "So help me Lord if that's Grissom with a case on my supposed day/night off I'll show him a murder up close and personal myself." With a quick movement of her wrist, she grabbed the thing and glared at the digital readout.  
  
"419, Call Griss." it read, making Catherine roll her eyes in annoyance and grit her teeth in anger. She looked up to tell Sara only to see the brunette glowering at her pager as well.  
  
"Grissom page you?"  
  
"Yeah. 419." Sara sighed. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a twenty, more then enough to cover her meal and Catherine's unfinished coffee. "Come on, might as well get back to the grindstone." They fell into step walking the short distance to the entrance, and there Catherine reached out to touch the lapel of Sara's jacket to stop her. "Yeah?"  
  
Catherine opened her mouth to speak, thought better and closed it before stepping forward and surprising Sara with a hug, curling her arms tightly around the taller woman's waist for a split second before letting go. "I am sorry. Friends?"  
  
The smile on Sara's face was all the answer she needed as they both walked out into the glowing sunrise.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
(A/N: ) So ...like it? Not like it? Feedback is my daily source of protein ...without it I'd wither away. And flames will be used to warm my feet, it's cold!! 


	2. Only a hop, skip, and a drive away

Title: Two Drinks and a Murder  
  
Author: Sky_Tye  
  
Rating: For now? It's a PG-13 but I'm thinking it'll get up to NC-17  
  
in some parts.  
  
Disclaimer: The medication and the therapy are trying to convince me  
  
that they're not mine. Supposedly it's working.  
  
Spoilers: A slight reference to "After the Show"  
  
Author's Note: Yes this will be a major focus on the Catherine/Sara  
  
relationship but I can't seem to find it in my ability to make this a  
  
PWP story so there'll be some plot-line ...yeah.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
Outside, the first few beams of light fell onto her hair and turned the strands a golden red for a few moments in time before moving past and bathing the entire street in light. Catherine turned and rising a hand to her eyes watched the sun creep out from the eastern horizon and grace the world.  
  
"See you at the lab?" Sara asked, at her own car already one hand braced on the handle and her other also up to block the morning light. Her chestnut hair was currently being blown into her face as she faced Catherine and the frown playing on her lips as a result of this caused Catherine to giggle and shake her head.  
  
"Let me call Grissom first and see what's up. He may just want us down at the scene as soon as possible. Or it could be Greg and another of his lovely early morning pranks." She was referring to a while ago when Greg had the whole night shift flying into the lab with the April Fools joke. She still hadn't forgiven him for that.  
  
Sara nodded and turned to lean against her car's frame, staring expectedly at Catherine while the older CSI took out her cell-phone and pressed speed dial #2.  
  
"Grissom," the tired voice of her oldest friend came over the line and brought a smile to Catherine's lips even though he couldn't see her.  
  
"Hey, we got your page. What up?"  
  
"Latest case. The Sheriff wants my team on it, he apparently has this fondness towards me--"  
  
"That's sweet." Catherine teased, leaning against her own car's door and brushing an errant strand of hair from her eyes. "So what does your newest crush want from us?"  
  
"You want to be a CSI Level 2 again?" Grissom growled, the smile he must have on showing through in his tone. "Roadrunner Ave. Building 1013. Conroy'll be there along with Brass."  
  
"My two favorite detectives," Catherine murmured and then sighed. "All right, I'm heading that way now."  
  
"Good. Know where Sara is?"  
  
"I'll get in touch with her." Catherine promised, trying to not notice the small flaring of jealously springing up at him going to call the brunette currently meters away from her.  
  
"Please don't fight." Grissom asked then cut the connection without a goodbye. Catherine blew out a breath and took the phone from her ear, giving it a dirty look as she tucked it back into her purse.  
  
"What up?" Sara asked as Catherine pushed her weight off the car and opened the door.  
  
"We're expected at the scene. Brass and Conroy are meeting us there."  
  
"Where's it at?" Sara unlocked her car and slid in, ducking her head out the window to look at Catherine. "Should I just follow you?"  
  
"Yeah. You'd get lost with that wonderful navigation sense you have." Catherine tossed, getting into her car and starting it up. She wrinkled her nose playfully at Sara who stuck her tongue out in retort.  
  
"You're a regular stand-up, you know that?" Sara muttered, starting her car and pulling out after Catherine's.  
  
Glancing in her rearview mirror, Catherine grinned playfully at Sara's car and allowed a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding to escape past her lips. They weren't the closest of friends but now they were starting to get there again.  
  
****  
  
The scene was not how Catherine had envisioned in her mind. She loved wondering about the case coming up and enjoyed glamming up her job every once in a while, if only in her mind. With a breath of regret she tucked away the chance to meet and marry a movie star by wowing him with her skills in the back corner of her mind and hopped out, smiling in greeting to the pair of detectives standing at the curb.  
  
"Hey," Captain Jim Brass nodded his head at her and flicked his gaze over her shoulder to Sara pulling up alongside them. "Hey," he said again, this time to the nearing Sara.  
  
"Hey Brass, Erin." Sara got to their position and shifted her field case from one hand to the other. "What've we got?"  
  
"Teenager, at the late end of that scale. Looks about seventeen but Conroy here is betting on nineteen." Brass started, gesturing behind him to the lower-class house hidden partially by bushes and dying trees.  
  
"The body's in the kitchen, face first in the stove. We didn't touch  
  
anything and well, as usual in this type of neighborhood, everyone and their mother was busy doing something someplace else." Erin Conroy jumped in, her voice low and clear though the still chilly air.  
  
"Some Neighborhood Watch, eh?" Brass pointed to the house across the street where an eye of a blue and white eye was posted in the large front window. Catherine and Sara both sighed mentally at that and turned back to the house.  
  
"Who all has been in?" Catherine asked, her eyes already scanning over the premises for entries and exits.  
  
"It was an anonymous tip that called it in so just me, Conroy, and deputy Ferrel."  
  
"Okay." Catherine shared a glance with Sara. "Why don't you do the walk around."  
  
Sara shrugged and walked back into her car to grab the sketchpad and a pencil. She returned in seconds and walked ahead of them up the small drive to the garage, Catherine's eyes falling onto her backside to admire from afar.  
  
Catherine allowed her eyes to skim from the top of Sara's shoulders down to the curve of her ass and let her mental guard down enough to wonder what the view looked like with nothing blocking her sight of the toned muscles. She knew Sara was a gym obsessed gal and was a tad curious if the workouts reflected on her body.  
  
"Catherine?"  
  
"What?" she turned quickly, hiding the blush rising in her cheeks at being caught unawares (and staring at Sara at that) and chuckled nervously as Conroy flashed her an odd look. "Yeah?"  
  
"You okay? You zoned out there for a moment."  
  
"Did I?" Catherine feigned a yawn and then smiled. "Must be the time of day. I always zone in the morning."  
  
"Well Sara's calling for you." Conroy said then turned to speak with Brass, her voice lowering. Catherine nodded, rolled her neck to release a kink then turned to spy Sara staring back at her with a smug smile dancing on her lips and a perfect eyebrow raised in silent question.  
  
Catherine groaned inwardly and squared her shoulders as she trotted up the drive to Sara's side. "You wanted me?"  
  
Sara looked like she wanted to reply another way to the comment when she turned and pointed to an area of bent grass with what looked like blood on the blades. "Might be the killer's?"  
  
"Messy killer." Catherine returned, kneeling down with her kit in hand. She reached in to grab a swab and dabbed at some of the substance, checking it with the chemical mix to get a confirmation of hemoglobin. "It's blood all right. I'll get a sample for Greg."  
  
"Right." Sara moved away and went to the door, checking the knob for prints before stepping halfway inside. "Oh, and Cath?" Catherine looked up in silent acknowledgement at her. "Next time you want to check me out, all you have to do is ask."  
  
Sara stepped inside a large grin on her face, missing the dropping of Catherine's jaw in astonishment.  
  
*~*~*~*  
  
(A/N:) Well, there's part/chapter 2. I hope it's okay and chapter 3 is already being dabbled on as I type this. Thanks to those who reviewed.  
  
Thanks to T, April, Kelpie-Muse, and cRaZyPiXiE : -)  
  
Feedback is my Muse's salary ...without it I get nothing done. 


	3. To Sleep perchance to be ready for Slumb...

Title: Two Drinks and a Murder  
  
Author: Sky_Tye a.k.a Nameless Quill  
  
Rating: R for now.  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine. Although if this was a perfect world this would be.  
  
Spoilers: The whole show, just so I don't miss anything.  
  
Author's Note: Sorry 'bout the wait but I have a Cath/Griss (I know! Don't hurt me it was a dare!! I SWEAR!) story that's being a pain in the ass in the works alongside an X-File story deadline coming up so this part won't have too plot but then again, that's not so bad eh? Oh, and anyone know if Catherine's sister was ever given a name?  
  
*~*~*  
  
Grumbling and peeling off the latex gloves now covered in blood, dirt, and other bits of grime, Catherine blotted her forehead with the backside of her wrist and tossed the used gloves into the trash. She watched with her teeth biting down on her lower lip as David and his newest assistant transported the deceased from the house and down to the unmarked black van that the coroner's office used. She was tired and exhausted and the sun now beating down on her and the rest of Las Vegas wasn't doing anything to help her position. But she managed a smile when David passed her and then sighed as she picked up her field kit and walked back into the house.  
  
She walked in expecting to see Sara as beat and tired as she was but instead found the brunette humming softly as she dusted for fingerprints on the fireplace mantle, where a nice dollop of blood had been left. It had been over an hour and a half since they had first walked into the house and Sara was still as energetic as she had been then.  
  
"You're cheerful," Catherine remarked as she set her kit down next to the couch and crouched to retrieve a fresh pair of gloves.  
  
Sara shrugged and didn't turn around, lifting the print as she moved on to the other side. "It helps me concentrate."  
  
"I've never heard you hum on a case before."  
  
"I try to do it when no one else is around. I thought you were still outside talking with the neighbor."  
  
Catherine nodded even though Sara couldn't see and went over to peer out the window. "Ah. Well, I'm not."  
  
The smile was evident in Sara's voice. "I can tell." She stepped back from the mantle and turned to glance at Catherine. "You look dead on your feet."  
  
Catherine wrinkled her nose in response and nodded again. "I am."  
  
"If you want I can take the stuff back to the lab and you can just head on home. It's no biggie."  
  
"You're not tired?" Catherine asked but then shook her head. "No, never mind. I'll take my stuff back to the lab, it's no big deal."  
  
"You sure?" Sara frowned and Catherine replied with a waved hand and exiting the room to check the backyard one last time.  
  
After another hour at the scene both Catherine and Sara stood in front of the house and bid good morning to the on-scene officer before heading to their respective cars and getting in, intent on reaching the lab and checking out before ten.  
  
At the lab, Sara waited at the front doors for Catherine to catch up, held the doors open and told the strawberry blond to grab some coffee in the break room while she dropped the stuff off with Greg. Surprisingly Catherine didn't argue. Sara took her kit and told her she'd be back in a flash before taking off towards Trace.  
  
Catherine followed her movements with a tired eye before heading the other way and bumping into her supervisor, Gil Grissom. "You need to stop pulling me on shift on my day .night .whatever off."  
  
"I'm sorry." Grissom sounded anything but sorry as he took his glasses off and glared behind him. "It really wasn't my call. The sheriff-"  
  
"Your admirer?"  
  
"Stand-up performance Catherine. How about a pay dock?" Grissom teased then peered intently at her. "You look terrible."  
  
"Why thank you." Catherine growled, her semi-good mood fading with that and she huffed at her friend. "Twenty-four plus hours without sleep will do that to a gal."  
  
Grissom nodded and then looked behind her. "You and Sara call a truce yet?"  
  
Catherine turned around and looked on as Sara made her way over to them from Trace, dodging Greg's attempts at talking. "Yeah, we did. At least, I'm not going to rip her head off anymore."  
  
"That's a good thing. I would rather prefer Sara's head attached to her body. She works better that way."  
  
"Who works what?" Sara asked, an expression of calm over her features. She looked between Grissom and Catherine and then glowered back over her shoulder at Greg. "He really needs to get a girlfriend."  
  
"He still at it?" Catherine asked, sympathetic to her grousing for she too had been subject to Greg's not so lovable tries at getting a date.  
  
"Yeah. Poor guy. I'm going to kill him next time he says it'll relax me."  
  
Catherine giggled and patted Grissom's shoulder before stepping away. "Nice. Well, I'm off. Might as well catch a few hours before Lindsey comes home. She has a slumber-party tonight and I need the rest to handle five pre-teen girls."  
  
"Have Sara drive you home." Grissom suggested as Catherine was almost out the doors. She paused and sent him a look and he repeated the suggestion again. "Look, you're dead on your feet. Have Sara drive you home since she seems to never need sleep and you're both getting off-shift now. I'm placing Nick with you guys so don't worry about tonight."  
  
"I am?" Sara asked, slightly annoyed at the fact of not being able to put in another hour or so.  
  
"You are. You're maxed out on overtime and you know the new rule. Drive Catherine home, get some sleep and I'll see you tomorrow."  
  
Sara tried to get a word in edgewise but as soon as Grissom finished speaking he turned and went back into his office. She muttered a swear under her breath and then faced Catherine. "Might as well, come on."  
  
"You don't have to." Catherine protested, not really caring either way and Sara shrugged it off.  
  
"Grissom'll tear my head off if I don't." Sara held the door open again and herded Catherine over to the passenger side of her car.  
  
"You know, me and Gil were just talking about that." Catherine smirked and slid in, buckling up as Sara went around to the driver's side. She leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes as the car started up and left the parking lot. And as minutes past she came to realize that she was more tired then she'd originally thought. She smiled to herself and then opened her eyes when Sara spoke.  
  
"You were talking about tearing my head off?" Sara shook her head as she pulled to a stop at a red light. "The thing's that go on when I'm not around."  
  
"We weren't talking about tearing your head off ."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
Catherine nodded her head. "It was more along the lines of ripping per say."  
  
"Now I know you're tired." Sara reached over and touched Catherine's shoulder. "Either that or you're finally going crazy."  
  
"I'd go for the crazy theory myself." Catherine mumbled and then blinked. "Did Grissom say not to worry about tonight? Why'd he say that?"  
  
"I have tonight off as well." At Catherine's look Sara lifted her hands and shook her head. "Hey don't look at me, it's that damn promise I made to Grissom about taking one night off each week to help lower the amount of paid vacation time I have."  
  
"You do?" Catherine yawned and sighed as Sara pulled into her driveway. "I wish I had your youthful energy still. Lindsey's going to wear me out."  
  
".Need some help?"  
  
"Any sane adult needs help when five pre-teens are hyped on sugar and no sleep." Catherine joked, unbuckling herself and opening the door.  
  
"Want help? I am free tonight after all." Catherine turned with a raised eyebrow to see Sara looking at the steering wheel bashfully. "I mean, we can catch up on things and you'll have another adult around and I haven't seen Lindsey for a while .never mind."  
  
"Sara, sure." Catherine said, reaching in and snagging a hold of her wrist. "I'd love that."  
  
"Really?" Sara looked up, her eyes bright and a smile tugging at her lips. "What time? Need me to bring something?  
  
"Oh, be over around fourish, that's the time they're all going to start their water fight. Do me a favor though? Bring some of your famous pasta salads. I love pizza and all but these kids have some weird tastes."  
  
"Will do." Sara mock-saluted and reached over to close the door but Catherine's grip on her wrist prevented her from doing so. She looked up and was shocked when Catherine leaned in and quickly pressed a kiss to her cheek.  
  
"Thanks." Catherine straightened up and waved as Sara blushed prettily and drove off. Then, she blinked and turned to look at her house and wondered what had possessed her to do that. Then again, it wasn't so bad.  
  
*~*~*  
  
(A/N): Well, there's that and for those who are wondering about the plotline behind this story, it'll happen after the slumber-party chapters and for those wondering when the romance is coming, then next chapter's going to by your newest friend :)  
  
Oh, and feedback pays both Catherine and Sara and they won't work without it, so do them (and me) a favor and review, thankies!  
  
To my reviewers: Nepeace~ Thanks for reviewing, I love your stories as well .you should update soon, hint hint ;)  
  
cRaZyPiXiE~ Thanks for staying with me!  
  
Marie47~ I promise more is on the way! 


	4. Moonlit Waves

Title: Two Drinks and a Murder  
  
Author: Sky_Tye  
  
Rating: R  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine, I just borrow them for lovely inspiration and tea parties and then give them back at the end of the day  
  
Author's Note: Hey y'all, sorry about the wait. We had a lovely little snowstorm up here in Washington and it knocked out the power while I was typing this up so I had to rewrite the whole piece. Anywho, here's chapter four  
  
*~*~*  
  
Lounging back on the pool chair Catherine hoped that the sunscreen she had slathered on Lindsey earlier would still be in effect even after the hour the kids had spent in the pool. Her sunglasses perched on the bridge of her nose; she smiled indulgently when Lindsey begged her mother to watch her cannon ball before returning half of her gaze and her attention to the book in her lap. With the shrieks and laughter of half a dozen preteen girls providing her with background noise, Catherine finally allowed herself to relax and unwind from shift.  
  
But even as her body eased into the chair her mind wandered into territory she had designated as 'Sara Sidle' and went over the impulsive kiss she had given that morning. It also ran through the invite she had offered and wondered if Sara would take the offer or retreat back to her apartment.  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted and her question answered when Lindsey bolted out of the pool and into the arms of someone standing at the open gate to the front yard. Catherine turned, curious, and was delighted to see her daughter squeezing the life out of Sara.  
  
"Hey there Kiddo, miss me?" Sara chuckled, bending down to give Lindsey a proper hug and looking over her shoulder to say hello to Catherine.  
  
"It's been forever, why haven't you been over huh?" Lindsey demanded, letting go of her and stepping back towards the pool, Sara's hand tucked into hers. "Come on, I want you to meet my friends."  
  
Catherine settled back into her seat and watched Sara be introduced to the girls, surprisingly the brunette was handling the gaggle of girls well and was seemingly chatting up a storm with them. Her motherly instincts soothed by Sara's presence with the girls, her attention floated back to the book and she was soon lost in trying to solve James Patterson's latest thriller alongside Detective Alex Cross. But again something tore her away, this time it was a shadow falling over her and blocking her reading light. She looked up to see Sara grinning down at her, hazel eyes dancing with some unknown joke. "Yes?"  
  
"Lindsey wants you to join her in the pool."  
  
"Don't even think about it," Catherine growled playful, her gaze jumping between the impish grins on Sara and the girls' faces. Lindsey giggled and shrugged innocently as Sara leaned down and gripped the chair's armrests, bringing her close to Catherine's half-naked form.  
  
Catherine ignored the delicious shiver running the length of her spine and removed her sunglasses with a fluid motion before staring back at Sara and shaking her head once. "No, Sara."  
  
"Why not? You're dressed for it." Catherine's mouth went dry when Sara let her eyes drop down and take in Catherine's form. Her eyes raked up over her stomach, breasts, and back onto her eyes and Catherine swore the brunette's stare had seared her skin.  
  
"I said no." Catherine swallowed, trying to regain some moisture back into her mouth and blinked slowly. "And that's final."  
  
Sara quirked an eyebrow and her lips pulled upward in a cute half-smile. "Really?"  
  
"Really." Catherine agreed, some semblance of authority creeping back into her voice.  
  
"Well then," Sara made to pull back but then winked and scooped her up easily. "When have I ever taken your orders?"  
  
"Sara!" Catherine yelped, wrapping her arms tightly around the taller woman's neck. "Put me down."  
  
Sara shook her head with a laugh and continued her path towards the pool. "Lindsey, should I put your mother back down?"  
  
"No!" the girls' coursed and Sara gave Catherine a mock-apologetic look.  
  
"Sorry Catherine, they said I couldn't."  
  
"So?" Catherine craned her neck and saw the pool looming closer and whipped her neck back around to glare at Sara. "Sara Sidle if you drop me in that water I'll--"  
  
"You'll what?" Sara smirked, stopping at the edge of the deeper end of the pool and winking at Lindsey.  
  
"I'll threaten to have you take two weeks off *and* have your police scanner taken away."  
  
Sara blinked and then thought it over; her eyes squinted against the sun. "That's harsh Catherine."  
  
Catherine shifted and shrugged. "Put me down then."  
  
"Fine." Sara sighed, tensed her muscles, and then tossed Catherine into the pool to the sounds of girlish laughter.  
  
"Sara Sidle!" Catherine gasped as soon as she broke the surface and got air into her lungs.  
  
"You said drop you." Sara went as if the events were everyday and normal and Catherine vowed to murder the other woman in her sleep ...after showing her who exactly was the boss around here. "So I dropped you."  
  
Catherine laughed dryly and swam over to where Lindsey was giggling on the small inflatable board. "You think that was funny?" She gave her daughter her best piercing glare but Lindsey would have none of it. Lindsey just laughed harder and fell off the raft and into her mother's arms before pulling away and joining her friends perched on the stairs in the shallow end. Catherine smiled over the girls then lazily moved to the side where Sara was standing by.  
  
"You're dead Sidle." she threatened, bracing her arms over the side and allowing her body to simply float in the water.  
  
Sara giggled and knelt to have a better view of Catherine's face. "I had to Catherine, Lindsey said so and you told me to never disagree with her."  
  
"I never said that. I said 'never disagree with me'."  
  
Sara wrinkled her nose playfully and straightened up; going over to take the seat she had pulled Catherine from. "Eh, same thing."  
  
"Is not. And since I'm now thoroughly soaked, why don't you come in as well? Seeing that you are halfway wet already."  
  
"I wouldn't say halfway KitKat," Sara replied with an enigmatic smirk and a look that sent a jolt of desire straight through Catherine, making her eyes widen at the sudden darkening of Sara's normally hazel eyes. "And since I actually did pack a swimsuit, you mentioned a water-fight and I know Lindsey, I might take you up on that offer later but for now I'm content to sit in your seat and read your book."  
  
Catherine wanted to fire a snappy comeback, really, she did, but the fact that her daughter and a few other young girls were mere feet from her and the fact that her choice of words and topic weren't meant for their ears, she swallowed the ideas coming to mind and dipped underwater in an effort to cool off. She was slightly thrown off guard by this new side of Sara.  
  
****  
  
The stroke of midnight nine hours later found Sara reclining on Catherine's couch, her mouth wrapped around a fork filled with the pasta salad she had promised to bring and Catherine stepping off the bottom step to upstairs. She paused in the space between the stairs and the living room to admire Sara from afar before heading in and snatching the other fork to dig in the salad.  
  
"The troops are settling down. I believe it's "whose got a crush on who" time but Lindsey shooed me out before I could get any real gossip." Catherine spoke around a mouthful of pasta and nodded in appreciation of the meal. "This is excellent."  
  
"And ten times more healthy then pizza." Sara teased, forking another bite and shifting her position. "Lindsey's a great kid."  
  
"She is, isn't she?" Catherine glowed with maternal pride before smiling and nudging Sara's foot with her own. "You're a natural around her, and around the other girls too. They loved you."  
  
"And here I am thinking kids and me were like oil and water." Sara shook her head and grabbed for the iced tea on the coffee table. Catherine shook her head as well but allowed the matter to drop.  
  
"Well, now that the kids are in bed, what do you want to do? Watch a movie?"  
  
"Actually, Cath, I want to talk."  
  
"Talk?" Catherine froze at that and furrowed her brow. "About what?"  
  
"About why you kissed me earlier." Sara said, turning so she was facing Catherine fully, her eyes focused solely on the strawberry blond.  
  
"I..." Catherine winced inwardly and sighed. "I'm sorry--"  
  
"I'm not."  
  
"What?" Catherine frowned, pulling her legs up underneath her as she went for her own iced tea, needing something other then Sara's gaze to put her attention on.  
  
"Catherine, you've checked me out dozens of times, before we had that nasty spat we flirted to beyond any normal safety point, and if I had moved my head a few millimeters we would have been in a nice lip lock."  
  
"Sara--" Catherine started but Sara's raised hand made her fall quiet.  
  
"Let me finish. Now normally I'm so shy that I tiptoe around the person I want that in the end I never get a chance with them. I did that when we were friendly before the fight, and now that I know what it's like to not have you around as a daily part of my life I realize that it sucks and I don't like that." Sara pulled her lower lip between her teeth and gnawed on it as her confidence slowly began seeping away. "So I'm going to just throw away all the past rules I had on dating and whatnot and just come out with it." She pulled in a long breath and then gently grabbed one of Catherine's hands, which were now shaking slightly. "I want you Catherine."  
  
Catherine was stunned, her jaw almost dropped but she retained enough mind to prevent that from happening. Her mind was reeling with the sudden onset of new information and she darted her tongue nervously over her lips. She knew Sara was waiting for an answer but how did someone answer that properly? Her mind ran over a list of scenarios and settled on one good one. She pushed herself up into a kneeling stance and plucked Sara's iced tea from her hands and set it alongside her own. Avoiding Sara's now confused gaze she turned her head to eye the stairs and then moved closer until she was halfway over Sara, her hands bracing herself on either side of the woman's waist.  
  
"Catherine?" Sara's voice was barely more then a whisper as Catherine leaned down and pressed her lips gingerly to Sara's. "Catherine," this time her name was breathed out slowly and was accompanied by two hands encircling her waist and gently tugging her down and fleshed against Sara's body.  
  
It was everything like a first kiss was described in the books and the movies, Catherine swore she saw fireworks streaming in her minds eyes and Sara tasted the right combination of honey and cinnamon, her lips soft against her own. Catherine sighed into the kiss and shuddered pleasantly when Sara took the sigh as an invite to run her tongue over the cupid's bow of Catherine's lower lip. Her left hand was running a faint circle on the skin just above Catherine's jeans and her right was slowly becoming entangled in Catherine's hair.  
  
The need for oxygen forced Catherine to break the kiss and she stared somewhat proudly at the smoldering desire rising in Sara's eyes and the swollen state of her lips. She had put that expression in Sara's eyes and she found that she liked that knowledge. She sucked in a lung of air before crashing her lips back to Sara's. This time it was different: instead of a slow kiss, this was a clash of teeth, lips, and tongues, both wanting to dominate the other as the kiss deepened in both fire and passion.  
  
Sara arched up against Catherine, making the smaller woman move backward on the couch until she was the one underneath. Her hands danced along the bottom hemline of Catherine's shirt and her thigh nestled between Catherine's own, pushing at Catherine's center in time with the kiss. Burying a throated moan, Catherine tore her lips from Sara's again and latched onto the brunette's neck, nipping and suckling at the tender skin there, making Sara whimper softly and squirm with the actions of Catherine's mouth.  
  
"You know what?" Catherine breathed, her breath tickling Sara. Sara offered a noncommittal grunt and nuzzled Catherine's ear, taking it into her mouth. Catherine moaned at the sensation of Sara's lip working at her earlobe and tried to continue speaking without her voice cracking. "You said you'd join me in the pool later on. It's later on and I want to go swimming again."  
  
Sara chuckled around Catherine's ear and moved down the column of her neck. "I lied when I said I brought a swimsuit."  
  
"You don't need one."  
  
"Lindsey?"  
  
"Told me to get my act together around you. She said she'd keep the girls upstairs and in her room for the rest of the night." Catherine grinned but trailed into a muffled murmur of contentment when one of Sara's hands idly traced the contour of her left breast.  
  
"Smart girl, takes after her mother." Sara noted, pushing away from Catherine's body and letting the smaller woman sit up. Catherine did and grabbed Sara's hand to tug her to the back door and out onto the porch where moonlight had spilled silver onto everything and turned the pool into a glowing reflection of the night's sky. Standing on the porch, her hand still tucked in Sara's, Catherine gave herself a glance to the sky above and then smiled as she made her way down and over to the dark pool.  
  
She stopped at the edge and turned, now a bit nervous, to face Sara and couldn't read the other woman's expression. Sara, however, seemed to know exactly what was bothering Catherine and with a soft laugh tightly embraced the smaller woman and pressed a kiss to her temple, tucking a strand of hair behind Catherine's ear.  
  
"Scared?" she asked and Catherine nodded into the crook of her neck. "Me too."  
  
"Sara Sidle, scared?" Catherine tried teasing, hoping to shake away the tremble in her skin and her voice. "Those two things should never go together ever."  
  
"Well they did now," Sara commented, smoothing one hand down Catherine's back, "If you want Cath, we could head back inside, watch a movie and cuddle or something along those lines."  
  
"Mmm..." Catherine thought about it, and then gave Sara a no. "I said I wanted you out here with me so I'm going to have you out here with me. So strip Sara." Catherine extracted herself from Sara's hold and started on Sara's buttoned over shirt, giggling freely when Sara batted her hands away so she could have access to Catherine's shirt. Catherine wasn't having that and danced out of Sara's reach only to return to the shirt.  
  
"I'll toss you in the pool again," Sara warned, smacking Catherine's hands to no effect for the third time. Catherine slid Sara a sly smile and made for her shirt again to be scooped up and tossed into the pool for the second time that day. When Catherine came up for air, Sara sat at the edge and smirked openly. "I warned you."  
  
Catherine didn't answer, instead she bent in the water and fumbled with her jeans, tugging them off and tossing the heavy material at Sara who caught them with ease. Catherine's shirt followed by her bra and panties. Sara caught all three of those too and set them in a pile by the soaked jeans.  
  
"So you coming in or what?" Catherine questioned, one eyebrow raised in expectation and her body concealed by the water. Sara paused, shrugged, then moved to slip into the water but a shake from Catherine's head stopped that. "Strip before you get into the water."  
  
"That's not fair Catherine," Sara argued, folding her arms and giving her best pout.  
  
"I don't care, you tossed me in! It's only right that you show yourself off before you can hop into this cool refreshing water." Catherine treaded away from the edge and ducked under, relishing the feel of the water and the contrast to her burning flesh. When she resurfaced Sara had taken her shirt off and Catherine stared brazenly at the exposed flesh before her. She could feel her heart shoot off like a rabbit and in her mind's eye she was already running her hands down the long line of breasts, ribs, and stomach.  
  
She pondered briefly on why she was becoming so wanton at the removal of Sara's shirt when she had seen more (or less if one preferred it that way) of Sara in the locker room showers once after a grueling case. Maybe it was because it was Sara standing before her like a hunting cat, muscles long and lean and tensed to flee if needed. Maybe it was the moonlight framing Sara in a halo or maybe it was that she was naked in her pool, her daughter was dozing off to dreamland in the house and the person who had occupied the starring role in her most erotic dreams was shifting her weight nervously from foot to foot.  
  
"Cat?" Sara asked when Catherine went too long into the silence. Catherine noted the underlying question in her voice and smiled a (what she hoped) seductive smile and beckoned for Sara to continue the impromptu strip tease.  
  
Sara remained motionless for only a second more and with a self-conscious smile, went for the clasp in her bra. Catherine watched, completely turned on, as Sara undid the bra and slowly slid the garment off her shoulders one at a time before dropping it directly at her feet, she kicked them aside and went to unbutton her jeans, also taking her time in letting the denim leave her hips to puddle at her feet, she stepped out of those and finally her hands went to remove her underwear and slowed, almost stopping, but then the hesitation was gone and the material was tossed onto the pile of clothes. Then, fear evident over the entirety of her body, Sara crossed her arms loosely over the flat expanse of her stomach and tore her eyes away from the intense fire burning in Catherine's eyes.  
  
Catherine quirked an eyebrow and pushed herself halfway out of the water to gently touch Sara's ankle. The touch made Sara jump and she stared accusingly down at the upturn smirk Catherine was giving her.  
  
"How about you stop hiding yourself and climb on in here with me." Catherine offered, lowering herself back into the water and backpedaling a ways out.  
  
"I'm not hiding." but Sara trailed off and dropped the subject. She paused, took a deep breath, offered up a prayer to some long forgotten god, and stepped forward to nimbly dive into the water beyond Catherine and rose a few seconds later for a lungful of air. Catherine turned and silently enjoyed the view as Sara moved onto her back and floated in the water just inches from Catherine's fingers. Then, seeing that Sara wasn't going to speak anymore, she too moved to float aimlessly in the water on her back.  
  
"The sky's beautiful tonight." Sara's voice came to her after what seemed hours of amiable silence. Catherine looked up and agreed. The night had cleared up from the unusual stretch of rain that had fallen onto Las Vegas the past week, giving the city a rare bath. ".and I'm suddenly as nervous as a school girl."  
  
"You too?" Catherine turned over and stared quietly at Sara, who was returning her gaze. Sara nodded almost solemnly which brought a flicker of a grin to Catherine's lips. "Good. So am I. I don't know exactly why I'm nervous, but I am."  
  
Sara chuckled, perhaps to just break the silence. The growing awkward silence. Catherine paused in her movements and swam so that if she leaned forward a fraction, her body would meld against the softness of Sara's. She hadn't decided to madly kiss Sara and have her treading water naked beside her only to chicken out and hide. She taught her daughter to stand up and fight and she wasn't going to let her down.  
  
"Sara," Catherine murmured, lifting her hand out of the water to slid it down the curve of Sara's now trembling shoulder. "This is most likely your last chance to leave, to escape whatever this thing starting is."  
  
Sara shook her head wryly and mirrored the touch. "It's funny how you're the one reassuring me yet I was the one to tell you I want you."  
  
"Then show me." Catherine said, her voice just low enough for Sara to pick it up.  
  
"Show you?"  
  
"Show me how you want me Sara, I'm right here in front of you."  
  
A flash of understanding went off in the chocolate eyes and a smile filled with a sweet wonder crept onto Sara's face before she nodded slowly and gently wrapped an arm around Catherine's waist to press their bodies flush together. She peered into Catherine's gaze for a second of eternity before tilting her head to the side and bringing their lips together. Like the kiss shared on the couch, this made Catherine see the light of heaven in her mind and her arms locked tight around Sara's neck as she drank the brunette in for all she was worth. The feel of Sara's skin flushed up directly to hers added to the element of bliss and elicited a moan of bewildered pleasure from deep within Catherine's throat only to be lost in the night air when the two broke to suck in a lungful of oxygen.  
  
They made love in the water, fingers slipping into wet folds of skin and even further to touch the very essence of the two women. Tongues, teeth, and lips marked bodies as territory; a visual reminder to all that from this moment on Catherine was Sara's and Sara was Catherine. Voices were shushed to prevent the whole world from sharing the experience and yet Catherine crossed over the edge of ecstasy feeling as if the entire universe had come with her, Sara's name falling from her lips in a mantra of praise and devotion.  
  
And afterward, when the need for talking had ceased, cuddled together on the stairs leading up out of the pool, Sara making a joke about her nipples freezing off, did Catherine grin slyly and take each breast into her mouth with a heated kiss and start the cycle all over again, this time Sara being the one to hold onto a slippery waist as she rode out a climax brought on by skilled fingers.  
  
Finally Catherine broke from Sara's hold and returned to the side to get out and covered, tucking her slightly damp oversized shirt back on and gesturing impatiently for Sara to do the same, after all it was freezing out there and now her nipples were freezing. Sara complied and stole a kiss as she moved past Catherine and into the house.  
  
"Your left breast is going to be covered in bites," Catherine commented, locking the back door behind her and making her way up the stairs, an eager and sated Sara trailing not too far behind.  
  
"Whose fault is that?" Sara mock-scolded, her eyes dancing as they passed Lindsey's room, Catherine poking her head in to check on the sleeping girls. Her motherly worries calmed for the night she switched back over into the lust-addled lower brain dedicated to the pleasure of Sara.  
  
"I wonder." Catherine mused, her hands already reaching for Sara's flesh again. They crashed together in a mesh of lips and limbs and fell into Catherine's bed, the door easing shut behind them.  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
(Author's Note): Yes I know this part took forever and you can blame my computer and my muse. In a way I wanted to never post this because from here on out the story's going to take a lot darker twist. There will be a lot of physical and emotional pain for our two favorite ladies so if you want a less intense and watered down version of each upcoming chapter, e- mail me and I'll see if I can do that for you.  
  
And remember: Feedback makes the characters want to work.  
  
Thanks to:  
  
CRaZyPiXiE- Here's your update, I hope it's worth the long wait (  
  
T- Thanks for staying with the story, you get kudos  
  
Lil'River- Here's the more you wanted  
  
Marie47- Since it was a slumber party for Lindsey I couldn't have a pillow fight, but I threw in the pool scene (  
  
Manx1- Thanks for reviewing! 


	5. Sunrise to Sunset

_Title: Two Drinks and a Murder_

_Author: NamelessQuill_

_Disclaimer: Not mine. Must repeat that: Not mine_

_Warning: This is a slash pairing story. If you're one of those G/S shudder or G/C waves a happy flag then this isn't your bag._

_Note: This is sorta a transition chapter since I didn't like the layout if everything was piled in at once, bear with me folks :)_

Buying her house, Catherine had been pleasantly surprised to find the windows of her bedroom facing the east. This meant that during her daytime naps she would never have to worry about the sunlight tearing her away from a good sleep.  
  
Now, though, with the exhausting yet wonderful night behind her, Catherine was praying that some force could change the direction her windows face. Either that, or close the curtains for her.  
  
But that just wasn't happening and soon the sunlight forced Catherine to leave the comfort of the blankets, pillows, and the delicious warmth and feel of a naked Sara.  
  
Grumbling and cursing to herself about Mother Nature, Catherine grabbed at her terry cloth robe at the foot of the bed, tied it around her, and made her way to tug the drapes together, casting the room in a dim orange glow. Much better. Now if she could only convince her mind that it wanted to fall back asleep.  
  
It wasn't working.  
  
Catherine finally resigned herself to the world of the living. She went over to Sara's side of the bed and smoothed a kiss over the brunette's brow while tucking the blankets more securely around her. This caused Sara to mumble something indistinctive and curl onto her side, her hands seeking out Catherine and pausing when they hit empty sheets. Smiling as Sara slowly got up, her mind trying to wrap around the reason that there was no Catherine in the bed, Catherine leaned forward and touched the nape of Sara's neck.  
  
"Boo."  
  
"Jesus Catherine!" Sara protested, jumping nearly off the bed, her hand coming up to touch her chest in an effort to slow her pulse back to normal.  
  
Catherine, a huge cheshire cat grin on her face, shook her head. "No, but I believe there's a Saint Catherine. And why am I now Jesus? You were calling me God last night."  
  
"You know, I think I'll agree with Grissom's viewpoint of your lovely humor." Sara grumbled good naturally and held out her arms to Catherine who shook her head with a soft smile.  
  
"No, if I curl up with you, I'll be there all day and I have hungry little barracudas downstairs waiting to eat."  
  
"Ah."  
  
"And you can come downstairs as well."  
  
"Ooh. Can I watch you play housewife?" Sara teased, and then glanced around the room for her scattered clothes. Catherine caught this and lightly smacked Sara's shoulder before heading for the door.  
  
"Ha ha. Funny. And you're an investigator, you find your own damned clothes." She left to Sara's 'Hey!' and stopped by Lindsey's half-opened door and popped her head in to find the girls giggling around a board game. "Hey there Sweetie."  
  
"Mom!" Lindsey cried out happily, getting up and tackling her mother in a hug. "Did ya make breakfast yet?"  
  
"I love you too Linds," Catherine chuckled, smoothing down her daughters hair as she beamed at the other girls. "And how are you girls doing?"  
  
"Great Ms. Willows, but Lindsey keeps beating us all at "Sorry!"  
  
"Lindsey, let the others win too." Lindsey giggled and looked up at her with the same expression she had when she was born.  
  
"But Mom, I'm like you, I always win."  
  
Catherine hugged her tightly, silently thanking Eddie, wherever he was now in the universe, for giving her this little girl and then pulled away when Lindsey mumbled. "What?"  
  
"Now can we have breakfast."  
  
"She's definitely her mother's child." Sara's voice came from behind them and they turned as one, Catherine grinning proudly and Lindsey darting to give Sara a hug too. "Hey Squirt."  
  
"Hi. Did you guys have a slumber party too? Mom said you guys needed to talk about something REALLY important so I kept my friends up here."  
  
"Oh did she?" Sara looked up to Catherine with a raised eyebrow. Catherine avoided the look by glancing around Lindsey's room. "Come on, let's get you girls something to eat."  
  
"Okay." Lindsey gestured to the other girls and they all followed Sara down the hall and stairs to the kitchen, Catherine walking behind them at a short distance.

Nine that evening found Catherine promising her sister a weekend at the best spa in Vegas and Sara sitting on the couch listening to Lindsey's version of the sleep over.  
  
"And then Cindy, she said that Mike Taylor liked me. Can you believe that, he's totally gross. He's the one that dropped a dead worm into my lunch box."  
  
"He did?" Sara wrinkled her nose for effect and Lindsey giggled. "I wouldn't like him either."  
  
"I don't! But Tammy, in truth and dare ..." Here Lindsey leaned closer and dropped her voice, "said she liked him. She wants to invite him to her birthday party. But don't tell Mom or anybody else. It's a secret." Lindsey said this with the solemnest only a child could muster.  
  
"I promise I won't."  
  
"Good."  
  
"Lindsey, coming?" Catherine's sister, Nancy, called from the hall and Lindsey said goodbye to Sara with a hug before darting out to go with her aunt.  
  
Catherine watched them climb into Nancy's van and waved as they pulled out before turning and slamming Sara into the nearest wall, seeking out the brunette's lips with her own.  
  
"I've been wanting to do this all day." She murmured, gently biting Sara's lower lip as Sara snaked her arms underneath Catherine's shirt.  
  
"I've been wanting to do this for longer then that Kit-Kat." Sara's voice was low with desire and Catherine was delighted she put that tone in there. "But we have that scene to get back too. Brass called me earlier and said the Ives could only make a nine thirty appointment downtown."  
  
"Dammit." Catherine frowned but nodded, kissing Sara hard one last time and going to gather her things. "Well, let's get it over with. From what I've seen of the evidence, I'm not liking either parent right now.  
  
_(A/N: Yes I know this is short and yes I know it's been forever but bear with me hmmm? The next part is ready to go, and will be up before Friday if all goes well.)  
  
Feedback makes my brain come alive.  
  
Bug: Thanks for reading, I hope you're still roped (  
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Manx1: That darkness will have to wait a bit longer, this is my transitional chapter.  
  
Jess: Thanks (  
BleedingGemstone: I also hate starting a story right before school, lol  
  
IrishTomboy: Oh, we can't have C/S have anything easy, now can we lol.  
  
To all the others who didn't review but still read: Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing!_


	6. Going Under

Title: Two Drinks and A Murder  
  
Author: Nameless Quill  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine. But if the folks at CBS want to give them to me, I'm all for it.  
  
Warning: This story does deal with homosexuality, rape, violence, and other content that can be considered disturbing. You have been warned and too bad, so sad if you proceed and get offended.  
  
Author's Note: See, I told you I would update soon :)

**Chapter Six:**  
  
They had decided quietly to take separate cars to work, as to keep what was blossoming between them a secret from the guys. Catherine reached the lab first but instead of heading straight into the break room to grab first dibs on Greg's surprisingly heavenly coffee, she leant against the warmth of her car's hood for Sara to pull in. It took another ten minutes for Sara's Honda to show and Catherine felt an involuntary smile tug the corners of her lips.  
  
"Hey," Sara said, reaching behind her into the car to pull out a box of doughnuts. Catherine watched this with confusion until she remembered: Sara's night for the snack foods.  
  
"Hey yourself, need a hand?"  
  
"Nah, I can manage." Sara waved off Catherine' offer gently and gestured for the blond to grab the door. "How was the drive?"  
  
"Lonely." Catherine grinned, forcing Sara to walk by her with their bodies coming into full contact. The tall brunette's eyes darkened from a warm hazel to a smoldering chocolate but not a word considered inappropriate for the workplace slipped past Sara's lips.  
  
"Lonely? Cath, we were having dinner not even a half-hour ago."  
  
"That's not my point." Catherine murmured, her voice going low and husky and connecting with Sara whose own voice dropped an octave in response.  
  
"Oh, well, I uses you'll have to clarify that point with me later."  
  
"I plan to. After shift." What Catherine didn't let Sara hear was the small part of her mind begging the brunette to say yes even though they had already spent one night together.  
  
"We'll see." Sara remarked coyly and sauntered off to drop off the doughnuts. Catherine stared after her, shocked and amused at the new side of Sara. Her eyes fell to watch Sara's hips swing out of view and a softer, warmer smile crept up upon her.  
  
"You keep unfolding like a flower Sara." She turned and went her own way, her mind struggling to beat back the lower primal instincts crying out for Sara. Her higher mind clicked into place and soon all thoughts of a desirable Sara were gently set-aside for a more free time.  
  
Her first stop was Grissom's office, popping in to say hello to her dearest friend and assuring him that the night off did her good. She left, with a promise to meet him for breakfast sometime later that week and headed down to Conroy's office wanting to go back to the scene to recheck something.  
  
"What do you want to go over?" Conroy asked after offering Catherine a seat and some coffee.  
  
Catherine explained to her a thought that had popped up last night. "We know that the primary scene is the house, right?" Conroy nodded and Catherine pressed on, falling into a roll, "Well, Sara and I checked all the places that one could consider for a rape and came up empty handed. But we never checked the pool."  
  
"The pool?" Conroy's eyebrow shot up as a smirk crawled onto her face. "And pray tell Catherine where that idea came from." She waited patiently as the blush rose and fell in Catherine's cheeks and for the strawberry's blonde's eyes to meet her before she repeated her question. "Where did it come from?"  
  
Catherine struggled to prevent another blush but succeeded— barely. Her voice wavered as she told Conroy that it was just a thought that had suddenly come to mind as she was glancing at her own pool.  
  
"You're lying but we'll get to that later."  
  
Catherine didn't hide her scowl and folded her arms. "Can we talk like adults now?"  
  
"Sure." Conroy waved her on to continue. "So you want to check out the pool?"  
  
"Yup. I'm getting a hunch."  
  
"All right, but you'll have to talk with Nick. He's been on it and is empty- handed ...I believe he's kicking a garbage can somewhere in your part of the building."  
  
Catherine kicked herself inwardly and nodded. "Right, I completely forgot about him, thanks Erin."  
  
"No problem. And I'll have a uniform waiting for you there." Conroy called as Catherine left the office.  
  
She found Nick not kicking a trashcan but glaring at the glossy 5x8 photos of the victim and the scene. She walked into the lab, knocking once on the opened door to announce her presence and claimed a stool right by him. "How's it going Nicky?"  
  
"You just missed Sara." Nick said without preamble, his normally Texas drawl dampened by fatigue and frustration. "She's off to talk with Brass about scrounging up any witnesses."  
  
"I might have a lead that could help."  
  
"Catherine, anything could help at this point." Nick said and Catherine frowned in sympathy for him. "What's up?"  
  
"We never checked the pool."  
  
Something clicked in Nick's mind for he groaned and slammed his hand on the desk. "And here I was last night listening to Greg and his expertise in all water activities! How'd you think of it?"  
  
"Random thought." Catherine murmured absently as her mind flashed over the contrast of hot flesh and cool water.  
  
"Good call. You going to check it out?" Nick asked and Catherine nodded.  
  
"I figure we don't need all of us there to get one sample."  
  
"Let's hope there is a sample." Nick prayed and Catherine patted his shoulder. "Go talk to the doc first and see if her body shows signs of being in the water."  
  
"Will do." Catherine got up to leave and made it to the door before Nick called to her. She turned and waited. "Yeah?"  
  
"Do you know what's up with Sara?"  
  
"No. Why?"  
  
"It's nothing wrong but I heard her humming under her breath. She never hums around me if she can help it. I asked her who the lucky fellow was and all she said was 'you're a CSI, you figure it out'."  
  
Catherine grinned brightly and shrugged helplessly. "If she's confided in me Nicky I can't break that girl-talk confidence. See you." She left, her spirits high and even smiled gently to Hodges as she passed him in the halls. He was probably now very confused. Oh well.  
  
In the morgue, she tempered her enthusiasm slightly and greeted Doctor Albert Robbins before getting down to business. If things worked out the way she wanted them to, they could turn this case from a stumper to a easy one-nighter...er three nighter now.  
  
"Catherine, always a pleasure to see you. Need something?"  
  
"Yea, look I know you and Nick already picked through her with a fine- toothed comb but I'm curious: Where there any signs of her being in the water prior to death? As in just prior?"  
  
"Unconsenting skinny dipping?" The Doc nodded, accepting Catherine's theory. "It would explain the trace amounts of chlorine found in her vagina."  
  
"She had trace amounts?" Catherine looked past Robbins and tried to see the crime. She shook her head and smiled gratefully at him. "It helps. Thank you."  
  
"Anytime."  
  
She left the morgue, feeling like a butterfly flitting from place to place and bumped into Sara in the halls just outside Brass's office.  
  
"Conroy told us about your thoughts with the pool. She's curious on how you got on that train of thought." Sara said, her voice light and amused as her hands reached out to steady Catherine.  
  
"I'm stumped as well. Anything with the Ives?" Sara shook her head and Catherine sighed. "Ah, well, at least we have a new lead to follow."  
  
"You have a new lead to follow, I'm going to hang around here and keep an eye on the integration— if it occurs tonight— I want to see who was supposed to be home that night with the girl."  
  
"Rape cases are always hard." Catherine soothed and her hands brushed over Sara's cheek before she stepped away to head out to the Tahoe. "Call me with an update."  
  
"Sure thing and Catherine...?"  
  
"Yea?"  
  
Sara opened her mouth to speak but thought against it. Instead, she smiled and shrugged. "Take care."  
  
"I always do."

xxxxxxxxxxx  
  
At the scene, Catherine looked for the uniform and found him waiting by the front door, a look of utter boredom on his face.  
  
"Long night?" She asked, coming up. He stared at her and nodded respectfully.  
  
"Ms. Willows."  
  
"Catherine please, I'm not that old."  
  
"Of course M— Catherine." The officer smiled and Catherine noticed how young he really looked. She made no comment but stepped by and into the house to head to the back yard. He followed and they neared the reasonably sized pool. It was bigger then hers but then again, so was the Ive's paycheck. "What are you looking for?" He asked as she knelt by the water's edge and opened her field kit.  
  
"A sperm sample ...hopefully."  
  
"A sperm sample ...but why?" Catherine reminded quiet and allowed his brain to do the math. He blushed and muttered 'Oh.' Catherine nodded to show that his assumption was right and then froze when a sound that shouldn't have been there crept to her ears.

The officer froze too and his eyes snapped to the house, it's darkened windows and dim lighting from the street lamp turning it into an omnious shadow hanging over them. His hand was resting just on his gun and he flicked his gaze to Catherine, his expression asking if she had hers.

She did. And she went for it, pulling it out of her hostler, the cold metal jarring her as the reality of the situation fell into place. She needed her gun, not for show, but because she might have to use it in defense. And no CSI wanted to be here, in this moment.

With a glance to the officer, Catherine rose slowly to her feet, her gun gripped in her right hand, and moved away from the pool's edge.

Another tinkling of glass echoed to them from the house and the officer turned to Catherine with a silent question.

"Go, check it out, I'll keep an eye out back here."

The officer, she had never caught his name, nodded and begun a steady pacing towards the backdoor, murmuring low into his shoulder CB radio for backup. He disappeared into the house and Catherine's eyes turned to watch the bushes behind her.

She met face to face with a gun.

"Nighty night Sweet One."

The gun slammed down into her temple and she remembered the feeling of hitting the cement before going under.

xxxxxxxxxx

Feedback makes Catherine live ...well, not really, but it let's you find out what the hell my mind's planning.


	7. Angel

**Title: Two Drinks and a Murder**

**Author: Nameless Quill**

**Rating: R**

**Disclaimer: **If they were mine I can assure you I wouldn't be a fan fiction writer staring blankly at a computer screen.

Note: This is slash and it is horror. Those words mean that there is homosexuality in this and a few scenes were people get hurt and blood goes flying. There are also people who want to do strange and queasy things to other people. If none of these makes your day, click on that back button.

**Chapter Seven**

She awoke to a music that pounded out a heartbeat that shuddered through her bones and rattled her teeth. It pushed past her and out into a night that had the taste of snow clinging to it like a fearful child unwilling to part with its mother. The air sparked a memory of her nose pressed against frozen glass, waiting with patience only a child could muster for that first snow fall of the season. Las Vegas rarely had the crisp scent of snow so her mind went into a brief pause trying to sort out what the hell was going on.

She tried to push herself up into a sitting position and found that the world wanted to pour out of her ear. She fell unceremoniously back onto a hard granite floor and stared abysmally at a painted-over window. The paint was black and from the lack of smell not recent. It landed her into a state of half-light, the kind that threw your eyes for a loop as they struggled with the decision of fading into night-vision or keeping up the techno-color of daytime. It meant for Catherine that she was slightly off of her game. Not good. There was hardly a chance for her to one-up her captor.

Catherine sighed and then gazed upward at a water-stained ceiling and decided that if she couldn't fight now, she could check herself over and prepare for the time when she could get that chance.

She winced and reached tenderly to feel along her hairline and hissed violently as her fingers brushed over a broken line of skin right along her temple; the reason for the merry-go-round experience every time she moved any part of her above shoulder level. Catherine pondered over the possibility of a concussion but shrugged it off; there wasn't anything she could do about it now. Her fingers dropped from the tear and slid over a patch of skin that felt raw and hot. A bruise. Well, she now found the reason why she was not at the crime scene but here in some twisted parody of a jail cell. How she got into these messes she would never know.

"Okay Catherine," She mumbled aloud, trying to act like this was one of those exercises that every Law Enforcement agent had to go through to learn how to deal with whatever came their way. "Let's get through this."

A rustle echoed from the blacked-out window and she jerked her head trying to spot whatever had made the sound but all she succeeded in doing was making the drums in her head beat louder and faster. "…Fuck!" She swore and gingerly returned her head to its makeshift cradle. The sound came again and then moved off like footsteps. If she had been more clear-headed or if the room held fewer echoes she could discern if the sound actually was footsteps and not her imagination playing cruel tricks on her.

"Come on Catherine." She tried again to get into a sitting position and sighed when the world only spun and didn't pull a tilt-a-whirl on her. It was an improvement and finally a better means to see where she had been placed. The room was silvered with hundreds of gray and black tones, the lighting issue was most likely from the window-factor but the scientist in her was unsure. There was too much light and the shadows were at too odd an angle to have it all be from one source. She scanned the room, her instincts helped by her CSI-filtered mind and soon she could make out her cell. It was small, not cramped, but just enough to bring on the edge of claustrophobia. The walls were smooth with thin cracks criss-crossing over it. The floor was granite, like she had thought when she had first woken. She lifted her gaze up to the ceiling and scowled when she noted the ceiling was riddled with dots that allowed slits of light to fall down onto her. She peered through those holes and wondered who was on the other side watching her. The light was golden and thick, not electric, but candlelight that faded from a rich gold to a pale white as it filtered down into the cell. If the light was candlelight then there had to be someone up there not only watching over the candles in case of fire but they also might just be watching her too.

The thought made a cold jab race down her spine and suddenly Catherine felt the walls of her prison creeping that much closer. She wrapped her arms around her middle and played back on her last memory. It was Sara, smiling at her over the head of Lindsey as the girl tackled Sara after winning a volleyball match against her friends. The brunette had a smile that touched something inside Catherine that made her remember why life was good.

To never see Lindsey or Sara again …? Catherine shook her head forcefully at that chilling prospect and ignored the stabs of pain that came from that jolt. She couldn't dwell on that macabre thought; she would lose hope if she remained on that thought. She couldn't lose hope.

The sound came again and with Catherine's new position and with her body slowly coming around she pinpointed it to be from above her and a small shower of dust supported that fact. She was right; there was someone up there looking down on her. She craned her neck back and stared straight up and felt that she met the gaze of …someone. Something shifted and then part of the pinpoints grew brighter, meaning someone had left their spot.

The chill came over her. Not only was she kidnapped but she was now some psycho's sick peep show. The concept sickened her and a wave of nausea not related to her head wound washed over her and she had to fight to prevent that loss of control. She might be someone's new doll to dress up but like hell would she ever give anyone the satisfaction that they had broken her. She would get through this. She would see Lindsey's face again and steal that second night with Sara. She would make it. But how?

Behind her the wall clanged and soon the golden candlelight flooded over her, striking her blind for a split second as her eyes struggled to adjust quickly.

"You are awake my Sunlight. Good."

_Sunlight? What in the hell?_ If this was not a kidnapping she would laugh at the name but right now it only served to drive a cold stake further into her heart. She blinked furiously and fought to keep her face a blank slate, the same face she used while doing dances for sleaze-ball. She pushed herself away from the new opening in the wall but made note of which wall she was moving away from.

"You are already on the pathetic human media that rolls disease throughout this world." The speaker was male; she still couldn't see him because he was just a dark silhouette against the light. "You are no disease though my golden angel. You are the savior blessed to me by the God who condemned me." The man lifted an arm and reached in towards her and she shied from it. "Why do you fear me? I am the one you were sent to save."

"Who the hell are you?" She asked and regretted the words as soon as they fell from her lips.

"You do not know of me?" The man's voice was low and dangerous. "How can an Angel of the Lord not know of **me?!**" He took a step forward and she shuffled back only to find the cold wall pressing through the material of her shirt. Her captor took another step and then stopped and cooed softly. "Of course though, you are trapped in that mortal body that clouds your soul with sin. I must help you before you can help me. Sweet Angel, why did you not tell me?"

Catherine opened her mouth to retort but he continued and effectively cut her off.

"There is a reason for that too! See my Sunlight, you do not need to hold my hand, already your presence is allowing me to see the bigger light." He moved to her and cupped her face in his palms. His hands were huge and the image of him cracking her jaw flitted in her mind. "Sweet Angel, I will listen to your unspoken glory."

_And here I was thinking I had seen it all _Catherine struggled and it only made the hands close tighter over her jaw. "You're ...hurting me." The hands fell off in a flash and the guy walked backwards to the door, his head hung low, his eyes on his hands.

"No! To hurt you ...no, I will go punish myself Angel. Thank you for preventing me from Sinning."

The door closed behind him and casted her back into the gray nothing.

* * *

Author's Note: I am so sorry for the five months of not updating. My muse had gone on vacation and this story had dropped into a bottomless pit. Thankfully I found this on my computer and I've decided to continue. Remember feedback makes my little world go round.

Xanthe: I'm sorry for the long wait, I hoped this is worth that.

Agent Sparx: Thanks and I always told you I'd turn you to 'the dark side'

Love2readfanfic: Thanks for the review! have a kudos!

Jess: Cliffhangers bug me too

T: I'll try not to break Catherine


	8. Good Neighbors S

Title: Two Drinks and a Murder

Author: Nameless Quill

Rating: R

Disclaimer: If they were mine I can assure you I wouldn't be a fan fiction writer staring blankly at a computer screen.

Note(s): 1.) This is slash and it is horror. Those words mean that there is homosexuality in this and a few scenes were people get hurt and blood goes flying. There are also people who want to do strange and queasy things to other people. If none of these makes your day, click on that back button. 2.) From here on out the story will 'flip-flop' between Catherine and Sara with each chapter, so to be easy on you guys, the character's name will pop up by the chapter number. Thanks.

**Chapter Eight (**Sara's P.O.V; 24 hours since the abduction

Normally the hum of the lab printer soothed Sara's nerves into something much more manageable but tonight they only served as another irritant to mark on her ever-growing list. Pacing the length of the room like a jaguar, she watched the papers slide out and Hodges pick them up.

"Well," he drawled, eliciting a growl from Sara. He either ignored it, or it hadn't reached his ears for he continued without a beat. "I should be giving this to Ecklie but seeing that you're here and—"

"Hodges, just give me the results." Sara snapped, reaching out and taking the paper. She looked it over and paled. The markers matched, 13 to 13. "So the blood is Catherine's."

"It looks that way." Hodges's voice was softer now. The reality that one of their own was missing and probably hurt had finally hit the little weasel of a man.

Sara nodded and eased a breath out slowly, pushing a hand through her hair. "Great, just …great." She backed from the counter and turned, her eyes riveted on the results that matched Catherine's DNA to the DNA markers found in the blood. This wasn't happening. "I'll just go give this to Grissom."

"You do that. I'll just stay here." Hodges spoke to a retreating back.

Sara moved through the throng of CSIs, technicians, and clerks to the closed door that marked Grissom's office and paused, frowning. Grissom's door was never closed during a high profile case. She crept closer; her ears perked for noise and stopped again when she heard muffled shouting. She made out Grissom's soft tenor and then a higher pitched, nasally voice and couldn't wrap it around anything. She must have looked lost because a few moments after she had stopped Warrick had stepped to her side and touched her shoulder.

"Everything okay Sara?" He asked, his voice running smooth, not betraying the haunted look in his eye. She nodded. He sighed, giving a nod back, and looked to the office too. "What's up?"

"Who's in the office with him?"

Warrick scowled. "Conrad Ecklie, that …" he trailed off with a growl. "Man that guy pisses me off. He wants us nowhere near Catherine's case. Said we're too close, we'll contaminate evidence." He stopped again and shook his head. "All he wants is another career booster."

"I know Warrick, I know." Sara muttered, her dark eyes now glowering on the door as well.

The two of them waited outside, half-listening to the shouting match and half-wondering how much time was being lost while they stood around when the door opened and out stepped a tall, balding man who looked to have the practice of sucking-up to an art. He was glaring behind him, his mouth caught between a sneer and a grimace. He cast a sharp glance behind him and then stole past them, his gaze catching on Sara for a brief moment, his lips curling up into a frightening resemblance of a smile and then left. Sara and Warrick wasted no time in walking into Grissom's office and stood expectantly, waiting for their supervisor to start.

Grissom looked worn and Sara could tell it just wasn't the arguments with Ecklie and the sheriff. Catherine's disappearance was pulling on him too, he was showing his age and he was still wearing the clothes from last night. He wasn't speaking and after a minute or so of silence Sara spoke.

"Ecklie didn't take the case, did he?" She asked, her heart clenching at the thought.

Grissom didn't answer and when she looked ready to snap he shook his head and removed his glasses. "That's what he was in here about. Brass convinced Atwater that we would be more …capable to deal with this."

"No wonder Ecklie was pissed," Warrick noted and then nodded, some of the nerves running through him vanishing with the knowledge that Catherine's abduction would not be used as a simple career step. "So, now what boss?"

"You are going to join Nick and finish up his case. Sara, you'll be with me and Greg on Catherine's kidnapping."

Warrick blinked and then shook his head. "Grissom, I can't just sit around while—"

Grissom cut him off with a look. "I want this lab's priority to be Catherine too but we still have that case as well. You'll be doing your job and when that is wrapped, you can rejoin us. Is that okay by you?"

Warrick looked as though someone told him Christmas had been canceled but, knowing Grissom was right, he nodded and exited the office without a word. Sara followed his movements and then looked to Grissom, her hands flat at her sides and her emotions covered. As the door clicked shut behind Warrick Grissom sighed and went back behind his desk and took out a prescription bottle. Sara watched him down two with the cup of coffee on his desk and still stood, waiting for her next instructions.

"Why did Catherine go back to the scene?" He asked, sitting down and pulling over a notepad. "We need to know why she did; it could give us a start somewhere."

Having something to do, to focus her mind on, Sara sank into one of the seats across from him and stared down at her hands. "We couldn't find where the victim had been killed in our first visit to the scene. Catherine came up with a theory yesterday--"

"What's the theory?" Grissom cut in, leaning forward on his desk and pulling off his glasses, a motion Sara connected to the fact he was just as, if not even more worried over Catherine's disapperance last night. The look on his face was silimar to Lindsey's crushed expression of horror when Sara had been the one to pick her up from Aunt Nancy's and not her mother. Brass had come with her and taken Nancy into the other room to explain the whole situation while Sara had tried her hardest to fully explain to Lindsey. "...Sara?"

Sara's head jerked and she blushed from being caught off guard. "Yeah?"

"The theory? Catherine never got around to telling me excatly what it was." He prompted her to talk, to get her mind in a work-mode. She knew it was a ploy to keep her from wallowing in despair and-- "Sara, you did it again."

Biting her lip Sara nodded and wished she could tuck her legs up on his chairs like the chairs in Catherine's office. "She mentioned something about the pool. About if the primary attack had been a submerged one in order to help wash away evidence. It explained the lack of it in the house."

"And you didn't go back with her, why?"

Feeling her hackles rise at the question Sara took a beat to settle down the urge to hit him before she continued. "The Ives had come in, Brass wanted to talk with them." She stopped. She didn't want to talk, she wanted to act. This wasn't acting; doing anything to help save Catherine!

"And?" He leaned forward more.

"And we learned the Ives were away for the week for a cruise. It was their anniversay. The girl, Linda, was staying home, alone. She's their only child. She's eighteen and has a good-girl reputation."

"What else?"

"Brass had Conroy and I follow up the interview with a call to the neighbor. Eldery, widowed, nice woman, she said that the girl wasn't alone most of the time. Instead she had several people coming and going, mainly at night. She also mentioned that though Linda was sweet, she was spending time with an eccentric crowd and one of the older guys gave her a strange vibe and then--" Sara choked and felt the tears burning at the edge of her vision. She sucked in a watery breath and tried to finish up, her voice cracking as she did. "Then the neighbor, Ms. Robb, said that something was going on over at the Ive's place, that there was gunfire and ..."

He reached over the desk to touch her hand but she moved away from the contact. "That's all I need."

"Brass thinks the prep returned to the house. That he lured the officer into the house and may have had an accomplice nab Catherine."

"Means the guy knew the house and the surrounding yards well as to not be seen by the observant Ms. Robbs." He slumped back into the chair and sighed long and hard. "So. We're back at square one."

"Yeah..." Her eyes downcast, Sara cursed to herself. "I should have gone with her. I mean, I felt something was off but ... dammit I should have gone!" She lashed out, wiping fiercely at the water streaks on her cheeks. Grissom remained quiet, unsure, as she tried to get her emotions back under control.

"You didn't know."

"The hell I didn't."

"Unless you've become a god in the last few days you wouldn't have known the suspect had gone back."

Sara looked up to him, a sharp comment on the tip of her tonuge and then issued out a harsh bark of laughter at his expression. "No, no I'm not a god."

"Good. It would be quite hard to be your boss then."

"Grissom ..." There was a hint of warning in her tone.

He held his hands up and then they both sobered, the bit of mirth shattering the tension falling in the office. "Now, back to the neighbor. She said the girl wasn't alone?"

"Yeah."

"Why don't you go back to the Ives, find out who the girl spent time with. Check her diary too, online or the old-fashion ones." He was speaking quickly, she could almost visualize the gears beginning to turn in his head. "And see if you can find out about the older guy."

"Right." She stood with the intent to hunt down Conroy. Brass was stuck with the original case. The man was not happy with the arrangement and showed it in subtle ways. A broken locker in the police locker room was one of them. Subtle. Right.

"And Sara?"

"Yeah?" She turned, hand on the knob, body poised to speed down the hall. She stared at him with eyes filled with fear and impatience. Her foot was even tapping.

"We'll get her back."

"I hope so, I really hope so." With that, she left.

* * *

Thanks:

Tainted Elf: I don't think you can starve from lack of fanfiction but here's another serving ...just in case ;)

kisa soma: Thanks for the review but personal life should stay personal. I suggest talking with a best friend if it's bugging you this bad.

Alyx7: I tried my best with the S/C scenes and I assure you there's no personal inspiration that birthed the kidnapper. Really. looks nervous and hides assorted knives

chawkchic: I'm glad to be back, thanks for staying with me for so long.

Sara-and-Catherine: tosses out kudos Thank you

Billy Rose: Thanks :)

wolfwolf: Grammar bugs me too and I try to preview and edit the chapters before I put them up but ...no beta. So, I do my best to catch them all. And I hoped the 'hook-up' was fitting, it took me a week to get that chapter out.

Irish Tomboy: He's not that bad once you get to know him. Really. Think of Freddy Kruger ...wait, bad image. Jack the Ripper? No, he doesn't work either ...

x-Sara-x: Thanks for staying :)


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